Can-bottoming machine.



PATENTED MAY 14, 1907. W. E.- HARMON. GAN BOTTOMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.12,1906.

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2253; aA 6MM@ A TH: NnRRls PETERS c PATENTED VMAY 14. 1907.

W. E. HAM/10N. I GAN BOTTOMING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIONI'IJBD SEPT. 12,1906;

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

T ,5 E HM@ o., wAsHmcroN', 1a4 cA PATENTED MAY-14, 1907.

No. 853,239. I

W. E. HARMON.

CAN BOTTOMIN-GMAGHINB.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.12,1906.

4 'SHEETS-SHEET s.

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PATENTED MAY 14 1907.

W. E. HARMON.

GAN BOTTUMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12,1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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STATES wILLIs E. IIARMoN, or CLEVELAND, oHIo,

ATET FFIQE.

ASSIGN OR TO THE N UN GESSER OHIO.

CAN-BOTTOIVIING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1907.

Application filed September l2, 1906. Serial No. 334,263.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIS E. HARMON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Bottoming Machines and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to lmake and use the same.

My invention relates to a machine for placing bottoms in sheet metal cans, and the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts substantially as shown and described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l isy a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation on a line correspondingsubstantially to a5, Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional elevation partly in section on the line of the axis of the drive shaft. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the rock-mechanism at the top of the machine. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a can and its bottom.

The function and purpose of this machine more particularly is to fix bottomsl in zinc cans for dry batteries but not necessarily limited to such cans. To this end the bodies of the cans have been previously made of the desired size, and also the bottoms, which are formed with a uniform ange about the edge about a quarter of an inch in depth in this instance and extending downward or outward flush with the edge of the body. Said bottoms are of such size that they will measurably stretch or expand the body ofthe can as they are pressed into position therein, whereby they make an exceedingly close and tight fit in the can. From this operation they go forward to be soldered. In this bottoming operation the cans are first placed in the machine one at a time by hand and at the same time a bottom is placed in each can, after which the machine quickly and successively thrusts the bottom to place and pre pares the can for the soldering machine. One attendant feeds the machine, handling the can bodies with one hand and the bottoms with the other, and the operation is rapid and the work perfect.

Now, referring to the drawings for the mechanism, A represents the main frame, B a pulley driven shaft from which all power is derived, and C is a substantially reel shaped member rotatable independently on said shaft and having a series of six radiating arms c in this instance, rigid with the hub of said member and adapted to be turned forward step by step equal'to the distance between arms so as to bring each arm in succession beneath plunger D. Said arms have flat ends and are cylindrical and of about the same size in cross section as the cans, and. each arm pauses just long enough beneath the said plunger to allow it to descend and cause the bottom of the can to be pressed into place in the body thereof.

In operation a can or can body 2 is slipped over each arm-successively by the operator, say at the position of the arm indicated by 90, Fig. 1, and a bottom 3 is placed therein at the same time. In doing this the can projects above the end of the arm, say about two inches, to afford room to insert the bottom and place it in a somewhat inclined position therein, which is best adapted for the further work of righting it by the joint action of the said arm and the plunger. Then as said arm is carried forward to position beneath the plunger D and the lunger presses the can down over the arm tllfe said bottom is turned to a horizontal position and is forced into close frictional engagement within the can, Fig. 4. The plunger then retires and the can is ready to be removed from the arm, which occurs automatically as will be seen further along. Meanwhile sundry parts are at work here and there which make the machine entirely automatic after the hand work above described has been performed, and while I show certain mechanisms herein to perform the attendant functions of the machine I desire it be understood that all such mechanism are Inore or less incidental to the main purpose and operation which have to do directly with the Iixing of the bottom in the can, and may be changed and modified without departing from the spirit andnovelty of the invention. Thus, in this instance, the plunger D is actuated from shaft B by means of an eccentric E on said shaft and a connecting rod F therefrom which carries a sliding sleeve operating between a nut and a coiled spring 25 on said rod, and whereby a rocking movement is imparted to a short rock shaft IOO G mounted in arm a of frame A. Rock shaft G has an arm with which the connecting rod sleeve is pivotally secured, and a gear segment g on shaft G engages a rack d on the plunger stem and said mechanism is timed to cause the plunger D to descend as each arm c stops directly beneath the same. A can is placed on one of the arms with each such stop and another can is discharged at the same time, at the bottom of the said member C. The said armed member C is rotated on shaft B by means of a curved gravity hook J pivoted at 4 on connecting rod F and constructed with a khook point tol engage with ratchet wheel L, which is fixed upon the hub of member C. Said wheel L has'a series of six teeth corresponding to the arms c and as the connecting rod F is carried upward the wheel L vis engaged by said hook and the arms are having a short `thereby rotated one sixth of a complete revolution to position beneath plunger D as above described.

The other operative arts have to do more especially with the disc arge of the can after being bottomed, and while the mechanism for this purpose may be varied and modified as already suggested, I have arranged to remove 'the cans from the arms as they reach the lowest point of rotation. A spring 5 on or for each side arm holds the can thereon, and this spring is released and the can is permitted to drop when the bottom of rotation is reached. Such release is effected by means of the part 6, which disengages the said spring from lthe can for such release, and the can then dro s by gravity into vtrough 7 and is carried a ong to discharge end 8 thereof by mechanism which slides all the cans in the trough along till the end 8 is reached. Then the said cans are dropped out sidewise from the trough by raising the detaining part 9 temporarily as a single can is released thereby. Said part 9 is adapted to swing up and back on itsy ivot to let theiirst can in the line go free, an is actuated by rod 10'which has an arm 12 rigid with its other end and which is engaged by a side projection 13 on the long arm `14 of a rocking lever pivoted at 15 and arm 16 connected by link 17 with eccentric E on main shaft B, A finger 16 rigid with long arm 14 is adapted to swing in behind the series of cans in trough or way 7 and push them along. The forward stroke of said 'linger pushes the cans, and the back stroke of arm 14 raises detaining device 9 and lets the cans out. Side guards or shields 18 come on opposite sides where the cans drop and confine them laterally.

The ratchet wheel L by which member C is rotated through hook or dog J is detained or locked after each rotation by means ofa roller 26 which is adapted to ride on the surface of said ratchet at its bottom and engage against the teeth thereof, and is held constantly in working position by vertically guided sliding support 27 and having slotted connection with arm 21 pivoted on the main frame at 28 and engaged by heavy spring 2() at its other end which is under strong tension and causes heavy upward pressure on the said roller 26.

Spring 24 on rod 10 serves to hold the can detaining member 9 normally in closed position vby pressing outward from stop 31 against lug 3() fixed on said rod.

What I claim is 1. In a machine for iixing bottoms in sheet metal cans, a rotatable arm to receive the can body over the end thereof and having a flattened end to receive the can bottom, and a plung'erconstructed to force the can down on the arm and to fix the bottom therein over the end of said arm.

2. A machinehfor putting bottoms in cans comprising a rotatable part having a series of arms with fiat ends and adapted to have the bodies of the cans sleeved thereon and to receive the can bottoms over said flat ends, and aplunger beneath which said arms are adapted to stop as the plunger descends, whereby when the bottom of the can is placed in .position beneath the plunger .it is pressed into place in the can.

3. A machine for placing bottoms in cans comprising a rotatable member having a series of arms, and means to rotate said member in steps equal to the distance between said arms, in combination `with a vertically reciprocated plunger adapted to engage the exposed end of the cans on said arms successively and press the same downward and thereby crowd the bottoms into position in the cans. y

4. In the machine described, a series of rotatable karms adapted to carry cans and a plunger above said arms, means to actuate the plunger at given intervals, and means to rotate said arms into alinement with the plunger step by step successively, in combination with mechanism to frictionally engage the cans on said arms, and mechanism to release the cans from said arms at a point substantially opposite said plunger.

5. In a machine as described, a rotatable member having a series of arms adapted to receive open cans and means to frictionally lock the bottoms in the cans comprising a plunger, springs on said arms to hold the cans and means to release the grip of said springs to liberate the cans.

6. In a machine for placing bottoms in cans, a rotatable shaft and a member thereon having arms with ilat ends, a plunger over said member and actuating mechanism for said plunger, and means to rotate said member to bring said arms beneath said plunger.

7. A machine substantially as described comprising a plunger and a shaft and a cam thereon and a connecting rod from said cam, and mechanism between said shaft and said IOO IIO

IIS

ing a bearing on said cam, a ratchet on the hub of said member and catches engaged with said ratchet connected with said plunger actuating mechanism.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIS E. HARMON.

Witnesses:

R. B. MOSER, H. T. FISHER. 

